{"id":150031,"date":"2020-06-03T02:46:34","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T08:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=150031"},"modified":"2020-06-03T02:46:34","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T08:46:34","slug":"holding-the-police-to-a-higher-older-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2020\/06\/03\/holding-the-police-to-a-higher-older-standard.html","title":{"rendered":"Holding the police to a higher, older standard"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jack Webb was politically conservative. His police shows — Dragnet <\/em>(1967-70), Adam-12<\/em>\u00a0(1968-75) — were profoundly pro-police. They got production assistance from (and gave thanks\/credits to) the Los Angeles Police Department, which, in the 60s-70s was billy-club conservative, too.<\/p>\n

\"\"But, for all that, the shows were an expression of the ideal<\/em> of “Protect and Serve.” They were, yes, propaganda for the LAPD as to what they wanted to be seen as, but, as such, they were aspirational. And I imprinted on them as what cops should be — not what they were, but what they thought they ought to be.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dealing with the public for these 60s-70s cops was never easy. Sometimes it was just goofy civilians causing our heroes grief. Sometimes it was folk — good or bad — who were suspicious or disdainful of cops. Sometimes it was dangerous.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Through it all, our protagonists always maintained that public service, “To Protect and Serve” attitude. Even in the face of danger, known or possible, they were by the book, because that’s what made them policemen, not vigilantes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The shows often touched on how the police regulated themselves, and it was fascinating. They dealt with rules<\/em>. With procedures<\/em>. Sometimes scary. Sometimes complex. Sometimes even unfair from a cop’s eye. But that was how it was — that’s what was needed to make cops, like Caesar’s wife, “beyond reproach.”<\/p>\n

And the shows did deal with things like police brutality<\/a>,\u00a0 or even police shootings, as when Friday himself was accused of an unjustified killing<\/a> in Dragnet<\/em>. “I thought maybe he had a gun” wasn’t treated as sufficient to get Friday off. “I was in fear of my life” wasn’t an excuse for using a firearm.\u00a0 Proving the other guy shot first<\/em> was necessary for Friday to keep his job.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Spoilers, sweetie.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Or when Kent McCord, who went on to play Reed on Adam<\/em>-12, played a cop accused of armed robbery<\/a>. Friday gives a famous speech about how rough the life of a cop is, but how that’s what he signed up for and is glad he has.<\/p>\n